Runaways
by Mr.WigZ
Summary: Something goes wrong and a 9 year old Thalia is not turned into a tree and thought dead, a trip to the Lotus Casino puts her and Percy at the same age, and when monsters attack both of them in fifth grade, they have no choice but to live on the run. As they try to survive and hide from Olympus, they question their loyalties to the gods. Will follow their shared childhood and book 1
1. How It Begins

'_Here I am, running for my life… again.'_ Thought the nine year old daughter of Zeus as she and her three companions ran along the coast of Long Island. _'I'm sick of looking for this "camp" that Goat Boy keeps talking about but can never find!'_

"It's somewhere here along the coast, so if we keep running, we'll find it eventually."

"How's that plan working Goat Boy?! We are running from an ARMY of monsters!" Thalia shouted back at Grover. _'I'm sick of this running, I'm sick of being hunted!' _She mentally screamed.

The four reached a clearing and as Grover shouted "Yes! We made it, it's just over this hill!" the youngest of the group, Annabeth, twisted her ankle and crumpled to the ground.

"ANNABETH!"

It was then that Thalia made her decision. "You guys take Annnabeth and run, I'll hold them off."

"But Thalia, don't you know what you are up against? You'll d-"

"I KNOW EXACTLY what I'm up against Luke! All the Furies, an army of hellhounds, and one _very_ angry Cyclops are about to attack, we all know they are after me, and we won't be able to make it all the way up the hill so you better make _sure_ my death is worth it!" Thalia screamed as tears ran down her face. "Take care of her, Luke." She said as she hugged her friend for the last time.

She leaned down to the little girl she had taken under her wing, "Annabeth, I need you to grow up to be big and strong, I need you to remember what I've taught you and always remember that I love you, and that I'm sorry I can't be there for you anymore."

"..T..Thalia…" was all she could choke out as she broke down and cried.

While Grover and Luke carried the screaming girl up the hill, the monsters closed in on the daughter of Zeus. Thalia could still hear Annabeth's screams even as the girl was carried over the hill. "Thalia! Thalia NO! Don't please no! THALIA!"

"I'm sorry..." Thalia whispered as she wiped the tears from her face before charging into the monsters that had surrounded her.

Annabeth had just managed to hobble/drag her way back up the hill, only to see that as the dying Thalia was turned into a tree, the Cyclops swung its club at the base of said tree and the battered motionless body of Thalia was flung far off into the nearby ocean where she sank to the bottom.

The young daughter of Athena collapsed and cried her heart out, not even caring to notice that the now fully-formed tree was keeping the horde of monsters at bay.

* * *

Just a little ways south, at Montauk, the Greek god Poseidon was having a particularly good day: he was able to watch his demigod son and the boy's mother play at the same beach where he met her.

Even though he could not let them see him or go up and embrace them no matter how much he wanted to, it still warmed his heart to see how they were doing and that they were having fun together.

With a wistful sigh, he turned around and was about to travel back to Atlantis when he felt something strange enter his domain not too far away.

As he neared the spot he recognized the "something" as being a child of Zeus, and when he had reached the spot he shouted, "**You DARE to enter MY domain foolish child of Zeus?**"

When he got no reply he looked again and realized that the child of Zeus was a dying nine year old girl, he was at the border of camp half-blood, there was a massive army of the underworld and a few crying half-bloods on the hill. Due to her being unconscious and in such a weak state, he was able to look at and piece together a few of her last memories.

"What a brave little girl you are… be thankful that I am more forgiving than your father and our brother, and that I am in a particularly good mood today." Poseidon said as he stopped her bleeding and poured some nectar down her throat. He then flashed them to an island so the girl would be able to breathe but where she could not be sensed by the other gods.

She began to sputter out water and then woke with a huge gasp as she shot upright. When her breathing had slowed and she took a look around she noticed three things: one, she wasn't dead; two, she was nowhere close to where she was when she almost died; and three, there was a strange man who looked like a fisherman or sailor and radiated an aura of power.

"whaaa... who are-"

"I am Poseidon, god of the Seas. I mean you no harm, as I have seen the selflessness you have shown today, it is also why you are alive right now." he said as he handed Thalia a square of ambrosia. "I happen to be having a _very_ good day and when you were flung into my domain… well let's just say that you are lucky that I am not like my brothers."

"Thank you Lord Poseidon, but what should I do now?"

"I told you about my son, I fear that he will face the same hardships you have, and one of you has the great prophecy and all of western civilization resting on your shoulders; however, I hope to lessen that load by having it carried by two." Poseidon explained, "I am now taking you to a place that will slow down your aging, and when you and Percy are the same age, I will return to take you out."

"Wait! Who is Percy?!" Thalia shouted out, but by that time Poseidon was gone and she began to notice her surroundings.

_What the… a casino? I can't even gamble!_ It was then that she noticed a card in her pocket. As she pulled the room key card, a note fell out as well: _**everything is free with this card. Poseidon**__._ She looked from the keycard to the note. _Well, better make the most of it, I'm going to a nice bed and then getting roomservice._

* * *

AN:

This idea has been floating in my head for quite a while now.

I have to ask you all to give me events from the childhoods of Percy and Thalia after they meet because I know where the story is going, but I need little ideas for things to do in between when they meet and the beginning of The Lightning Thief. For example, when they go to an amusement park, or when Percy forces Thalia to buy new clothes. Things like that.

I hope to maybe get a Thalia and Percy pairing eventually, but that won't be happening until a long way into the sequel.

PLEASE REVIEW! No matter how long it has been since an update I will check all reviews. The reviews, suggestions, and ideas are what fuel my writing! It may be weeks before I post a new chapter but every review, PM, of other form of communication makes the writing a lot easier and faster. Although constructive criticism is appreciated, don't ramble on about how I made the same grammar mistake over and over, just tell me once and give an example; I get enough nagging about my grammar from my professors.


	2. SHOOT THEM!

Thalia POV:

A day or so later, Poseidon took me out of the casino and told me that I was now the same age, even in days, as his son. Then he took me to the school his son was attending and told me that I would find out who his son was "when the time was right", like that was supposed to help me?

He had also given me this pen that he said was like my bracelet and can of mace, thank the gods I still had those, to give to his son. However, Poseidon told me not to tell his son who his father was or that he had sent me.

I've been living in one of my safe houses near the school, thankfully the teachers don't question about my "parents" thanks to the mist. School sucks, I hate it like I always have, the only good thing is that I get a full free meal at lunch, which is usually my only meal all day; hey, I've lived off of less when I was on the streets with Luke so it doesn't bother me.

I hate almost everyone there, they all try to look down on me… the teachers would all say "hate is a strong word" but I _strongly_ hate them too… the only person I can stand is this one kid named Percy, it seems like he's got a pretty hard life, but something keeps him cheerful somehow. I guess that's why he would be friends with the "punk new-kid" but he's new too so I guess to him I'm just one of the kids that suburban parents tell their children to avoid.

I just wish he would stand up for himself, when some jerks tried to mess with me I kicked their asses so nobody messes with me now, but he just keeps taking it without fighting back.

So anyways, the class is taking a field trip to some Civil War battlefield and I'm bored out of my mind while Percy somehow managed to fall asleep, lucky little… I just hope he starts talking in his sleep, that's always fun to watch.

* * *

Percy POV: I woke up to the sound of my closest friend Thalia giggling. "Are you…?"

"NO! You must be thinking of your dream or something." She shot back immediately.

"Are you sure, because for a second there I thought you had broken."

"Shut up Jackson."

As Thalia began to threaten me, the bus stopped and we all filed out. After staring at a plain-looking field while being given a boring talk about what had happened at this field (the talk was boring, not the battle), we finally got to see some cool stuff a.k.a cannons. When we were being shown the way to load the cannons, Thalia started looking really nervous. After they fired a cannon with no cannonball, the group moved on but Thalia was rooted to the spot she was standing.

When I went to go get her, I saw what it was that had her frightened: behind the bus, giants were coming out of the woods. "What?! G-giants?!"

Thalia turned to me, "You can see them?"

"Who wouldn't see the giants by the bus!" I shouted back at her, "How could I not see that!"

"Quick, Percy, load up the cannons with cannonballs!"

"What?" I said, even though I was already loading the cannon.

"SHOOT THEM!" Thalia screamed at me as she fired her cannon, hitting one that was in front of the bus and turning it into golden dust.

I quickly fired my cannon, but I managed to hit the bus instead, which turned out to be a good thing as the bus went flying back into the rest of the giants.

"COME ON PERCY! **RUN!" **Thalia grabbed my hand and started dragging me away.

"But Thalia-"

"Look Percy, the life you used to know just ended, if you want to survive, you're going to have to come with me NOW. I'm sorry that it has to be this way but we have no choice."

I took one last look back before following Thalia into the woods, leaving behind everything I knew to (unwillingly) start on a new adventure.

* * *

Thalia:

Percy is going to get us killed! Even being the main suspect in the case of a school bus that blew up, not to mention that we were attacked by monsters, he is determined to go back home before we go live on the run. What's so great about home? I had seen the way he talked about his stepdad at school, and the effects the stepdad had on Percy.

I have told Percy that if we are about to get killed because of him, I will trip him so I can get away.

I really wouldn't do something like that, and if Percy would be able to know that, had he not seen me do such horrible things to the furry woodland creatures, AKA: I killed and skinned some rabbits and squirrels so we could eat. He almost wet himself when I had set the squirrel-kebabs over the fire!

We have been walking for days and still have not come across any monsters, for which I am both thankful and terrified. The paranoia is driving me insane! Every single rustle in the leaves makes me expect an ambush.

The only time that I felt even slightly at ease was when Percy and I would sit next to each other in front of our little fire, it somehow reminded me of a home I never had. Percy had this wistful look whenever these moments happened, as if he was remembering something that actually happened… I guess I now see that he has a good enough reason to risk going home.

* * *

About two thirds of the way to Percy's, we were in the woods and my paranoia was off the charts, I thought I kept seeing things running through the forest. When I saw a flash of silver I said, "Percy, stay here and _don't move," _I then shouted out, "Lady Artemis, may I speak to you in private?"

When I saw a single flash of silver directly in front of me, I took that as a "yes" and walked forward, but not before reminding Percy to, "_STAY."_

"Why the secrecy Thalia?" I heard Artemis ask.

"Two reasons: one, I'm supposed to be dead and I need you to pretend that we never met today because my life depends on it; and two, he doesn't know what he is yet, and I'd like to keep it that way." I explained. "I also would like to ask a favor of you. His mother is a very kind woman but is married to an abusive man; I would ask that you give the man what he deserves when we visit the boy's mother."

Artemis seemed to ponder this for a minute. I heard Percy call my name, I needed to hurry. "Lady Artemis, if you do this , I swear I will seriously reconsider joining the hunt."

She replied, "I will do as you have asked, not because of your reconsideration, but for the sake of the woman."

"Thank you Lady Artemis." I said with a sigh of relief before I walked back to Percy. "Sorry Perce, it was just my imagination.

* * *

AN:

I was so happy when I saw that this story was followed by LubthaNiBriste, because their story/series Thalia Grace & the Olympians was one of the inspirations for Runaways and is one of my all-time favorite fanfics.

I have to ask you all to give me events from the childhoods of Percy and Thalia after they meet because I know where the story is going, but I need little ideas for things to do in between when they meet and the beginning of The Lightning Thief. For example, when they go to an amusement park, or when Percy forces Thalia to buy new clothes. Things like that.

I hope to maybe get a Thalia and Percy pairing eventually, but that won't be happening until a long way into the sequel.

PLEASE REVIEW! No matter how long it has been since an update I will check all reviews. The reviews, suggestions, and ideas are what fuel my writing! It may be weeks before I post a new chapter but every review, PM, of other form of communication makes the writing a lot easier and faster. Although constructive criticism is appreciated, don't ramble on about how I made the same grammar mistake over and over, just tell me once and give an example; I get enough nagging about my grammar from my professors.


End file.
